Will I lose my Social Security survivor benefits from first husband if I remarry at 72?

Good news! Since you're over 60 (actually over 72), you CAN remarry and still keep your survivor benefits from your first husband. The Social Security Administration changed those rules years ago specifically to help seniors. For your second question, yes - if your new husband passes away, you'd be able to choose whichever survivor benefit is higher. And for the third question, there is indeed a 9-month marriage requirement for survivor benefits from a new spouse, with some exceptions for accidental death. Hope this helps and congratulations on your upcoming marriage!

The person above is WRONG! My aunt remarried at 68 and they took away her survivor benefits from her first husband immediately! She had to fight for MONTHS to get them back. The SSA is not your friend - they try to save money any way they can. You NEED to go to your local office BEFORE you remarry and get everything in writing!

Congrats on finding love again! My mom went through the same thing when she got remarried at 70. Just make sure to call SSA and let them know after the wedding. They didn't change anything with her benefits.

I'd recommend calling SSA directly to confirm all this but good luck getting through to them! I spent 3 hours on hold last month and then got disconnected. Tried again next day - another 2 hours waiting. Their phone system is the worst.

my mom is 71 and just remarried last year, she still gets her survivor benefits from dad no problem. the ssa does make mistakes sometimes tho so its good to double check

To provide precise information on your questions: 1. Yes, you will continue to receive survivor benefits from your first husband after remarriage because you are over age 60 (specifically, you're 72). 2. If your future husband passes away after you've been married the required time, you would have the choice between your current survivor benefits or survivor benefits based on his record, whichever is higher. SSA will not pay both simultaneously. 3. The 9-month marriage duration requirement does have exceptions, including accidental death and military service-related death. Without meeting an exception, you would not qualify for survivor benefits from the new husband if the marriage lasted less than 9 months, but you would still keep your current survivor benefits. I recommend informing SSA of your marriage after it occurs. You don't need pre-approval, but should report the change in marital status within 10 days of the event by calling or visiting your local office.

Your benefit amount from your first husband's record should remain exactly the same after you report your marriage. The remarriage after age 60 rule specifically allows the benefit to continue unchanged. The only thing that would potentially change your benefit amount would be if you later became eligible for a higher benefit (such as potentially from your new husband's record in the future).

When my dad remarried at 75 he said the SSA never even asked him about his previous marriage or benefits. I think they really don't care once you're over 60. Enjoy your wedding!

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage! I went through a similar situation when I remarried at 68. The good news is that since you're over 60, your survivor benefits from your first husband will continue unchanged after you remarry. I didn't have any issues when I reported my marriage to SSA - they just updated my file and confirmed my benefits would continue as normal. Just make sure to report the change within 10 days after your wedding. You can do this by phone or by visiting your local SSA office. Don't let the fear of losing benefits stop you from being happy - the law protects seniors in exactly your situation. Wishing you all the best for your new marriage!

As someone who just went through this exact situation last year at age 74, I can confirm what others have said - you absolutely will keep your survivor benefits! I was terrified too, but SSA was actually very reassuring when I called them after my wedding. The agent explained that the rule changed specifically to help widows and widowers find happiness again without financial penalty. I've been receiving the same benefit amount for over a year now with no issues. The only paperwork I had to fill out was a simple marital status update form. Don't let worry overshadow this wonderful time in your life - the law is on your side here!